Welcome!

General Information:

First of all, no matter what type of doctors office you are working for the basic information and steps to take remain essential the same. 

On each patient you will need to gather demographic and insurance information.  The quality of the data is always important in that it not only allows you to get the initial information of the patient for treatment it will be used in collection efforts as well.  Each office will have it's own policy on the type of information to gather and how it will be stored.  Whether you are in an office that still uses paper charts or stores all information electronically or somewhere in between you will have to get the basics.

We have created a general patient information form for you to use as a learning tool.  Most if not all offices will have a paper version of this form for you to study.  You should always get:  Full Name, a complete address, phone number(s), employer information, next-of-kin, and complete insurance(s) information.  Also, making a front-and-back copy of the patient's current identification and insurance card(s) is a must.

Once the information is gotten it will need to be stored either electronically or in hard-

copy for future references.  Generally, doctor's offices only gather information on the patients on the initial visit and then verify it once a year.  You should have a policy in place that requires that each patient certify that the information has not changed since the last visit. 

The next phase of the registration process is having the patient or guardian sign various forms.  The wording on the forms will be specific for your particulare office or specialty.  Everyone should have an "Authorization to Treat", "Assignment of Benefits", "Financial Responsibility" and the HIPAA form.  Some Insurances require that other forms be signed or information be incorporated with the "Assignment of Benefits" and "Financial Responsibility" forms.  To save space and costs some of these forms can be combined into one form with the patient just signing each section.  The "Authorization to Treat", "Assignment of Benefits" and "Financial Responsility" forms or sections should be renewed each year.  While the HIPAA form need only be done once.   We will have sample forms of these as well to download.

 Some Specific Duties:

As stated on the previous page Front Office Clerks generally are the first person that is seen by each patient.  It is essential that the person in this position be a "people" person as it reflects on the reputation of the office as a whole.  Not everyone is cut out for this area and should be screened accordingly.  The job requires that you be able to get the necessary information on the patient as well as collect co-pays and deductibles when needed. 

A general knowledge of most insurances is extremely helpful in this position.  As well as what insurances that the office/doctors participate with.  A general knowledge of insurance terms is required as well.  Knowing the difference between a co-pay and a deductible and participating versus non-participating physician is essential to reflect a professional appearance in the staff and make the patients comfortable knowing that their specific insurance needs are being met.

Any person in this area should be able to answer basic questions in regards to any of the forms they are asking the patients to sign, the rights of the patient as well as the responsbilities, and explain to the patient any amounts that may be due over and above the normal copays.  Sometimes, the front office personnel may be asked to make payment arrangements with the patient/guarantors but not generally as this is a Back Office Insurance Clerks or Supervisors area of expertise.

The Front Office person will also make return appointments for each of the patients.  They will need to be aware of any limitations by the insurance company on return visits depending on the speciality of the physicians.  For instance, most insurances place limits on physicial therapy, psychotherapy and dermatology visits without prior authorization.  The Front Office Clerk may not be the one who actually gets the authorization but they do need to be aware of it.  Assisting the patients in these areas is a very important part of the role of the Front Office personnel.